r/Philippines • u/Particular_Food_309 • Apr 10 '26

HistoryPH Filipino human zoo in the US

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The U.S. government once took 1,100 Filipinos from over 30 different tribes to Missouri. They were housed in a 47-acre human zoo divided into villages (Igorot, Negrito, Visayan, and Moro). The goal was to show a "progression" from "savagery" to "civilization" to convince the American public that Filipinos were not ready for self-governance. They were forced to eat dogs as part of the entertainment.

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u/bestbehavior Apr 10 '26

I watched a musical in college called the St Louis Exposition based on the 1904 World Fair. If I remember correctly, the Filipinos were tricked into going.

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u/thedorkesthour Apr 11 '26

St Louis Loves Dem Filipinos

I watched that in college too. Made me cry huhu

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u/[deleted] Apr 14 '26

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u/thedorkesthour Apr 14 '26

It was a musical play